Smooth sailing today my friends! It looks like things just might get a bit more intense in this chapter, and if that wasn't enough, more secrets of the past may be revealed to Naruto and the gang! You guys have been so great! 14 reviews and counting! Very few for my other work, 'Silent Ice' though. I don't blame anyone but come on people! Opinions spoken are opinions heard. Let me know what you think!! It's what I get for being one of the desperate people who just want a little recognition. Anywho, on with the story!
Oh and I don't own Naruto, for we must worship Kishimoto-san for that.
"iii" speech
iii thought/telepathy
iii spirit speech
Chapter 10: There And Back Again (no, not The Hobbit)
The trek through the howling empty metropolis had become less lively, a cat or other wild pet here and there, whom Akamaru or Lilith took the time to scare off or chase after. Akako usually shook her head and kept going but joined in if the animal was bigger than it should've been. Broken down or abandoned cars acted as large metal bumps and mini hills amidst all the snow and ice. Stores and restaurants, devoid of customers, sometimes windows, suffered on the inside than anywhere else, their merchandise and means of produce frozen or ruined by the passing seasons and weather. Even fewer people were experienced on the way to what Kazuo had said was 'the spot'. A woman somewhere in her late sixties had been hanging laundry before she noticed them, starting to call something out with what remained of her voice. Gayle had done the woman a favor by walking up the wall to converse with her. This lasted some minutes before he came back down, writing something down on a notepad he'd whipped out of one of his many pockets. Another person the encountered was another mystery warrior with a monkey mask that had brown markings. His only problem was his lacking a left arm while his companion, another masked figure, had no legs. Rabbit mask firmly in place with yellow markings of his own, the two men sent them a friendly wave as the one armed man swept away the snow literally single handedly as his friend was chipping ice of windows. "Best of the best they were. Great messengers before they lost what they had. Quite sad really but they make good card games right Evan?"
"Can't agree with you more Chevy. Especially One Arm! He'll give you a run for your money!."
"Then why are they out here? Why not away from the action instead of near it?" Sakura asked, walking a little faster to stroll next to the dog masked man. Thinking this over he stayed quiet for a few seconds before answering. "It's just one of those things Sakura-san, besides this part of town is the most inactive and it's more of a neutral zone than anything. Don't worry, they have their ways of backin' us up if things get too rough. Even if they are handicap."
"Hey I'm handicap aren't I?" Evan mock whined from in front of them, half turning with a fake pout on his face.
"Not you Ev, your problem is more temporary than permanent. And in case it does get you seeing black for the rest of your days, you can practice with them on card playing and see how you like losing almost every game!"
"Quit complainin'. At least we let you win some of the games you have against us! So quit carryin' on about it! Besides, I've played him in the dark…" Ozzy called, half turning himself to give Chevy a miffed look.
"And blindfolded! I kept bumpin' into stuff though." Evan practically cheered in a singsong voice that made even Gai grimace at its high pitch.
"You always bump into stuff." Ozzy scoffed.
"Do not!"
"Do to."
"Not!"
"Do."
"Not."
"Do."
"Do not!!"
"Here they go." Chevy sighed in exasperation. Every time. He thought as the twins continued to bicker and carry on about who cares what anymore. The two went on as they walked through the street, heading straight for what appeared to be some sort of park. Barren trees looked ghostly, bushes prickly and oddly ominous, a worn track or gravel being taken over by dead weeds, a bench or two standing here and there randomly planted into the cold ground. The twins, seemingly oblivious, kept walking even though the rest of the group hung back, nervous. And they had reason too. A few seconds later, a shadow pounced out of the bushes and headed straight for the two brothers. They fell like bricks only for puffs of smoke to reveal them as straw mannequins with funny faces drawn on the heads. Sure enough the thing looked around, its raggedly sewn cloak hiding its disgusting appearance, but not the smell. Another pair of the twins popped into existence, walking and bickering as though they'd been there the entire time! The thing turned to the two and screeched angrily, running at them as they continued to walk like nothing was wrong. Suddenly an unseen force threw it over some trees before falling with an angry shriek in the distance, its protest cut off by a nasty snap and cracking sound, silencing it as the wind came howling through. As though nothing had occurred the two kept walking down the path, deep in discussion and pausing only to step over the straw dummies, picking them up and tossing the casually into the bushes.
Jaws on the ground and eyes wide, the group turned to stare in question at Chevy, Gayle and Kazuo. The three looked at each other before Gayle said. "We don't know either and we don't know if we should even ask."
The other two just shrugged and started the trek again to follow the two bickering brothers down the path, the group following not far behind. Some ten minutes or so of trudging through the maze of walkways and trails, the twins, having stopped talking some five minutes earlier, wandered fairly hesitantly into the bushes. "Was it over here, or over there?" Evan seemed to think out loud, peering this way and that, staring at the ground with a furrowed brow and a sharp eye for any detail. Ozzy moved carefully, looking around just as imperceptibly to the possible locations of whatever they were looking for. Hesitant and a bit confused on what the two were doing, the three remaining warriors tried to join in the search only to be waved away by Ozzy as he moved again, stooping down to look under a bush to pull back some branches to peer at the ground. Snow, frost and ice kept dirt and grass from being able to stand strong against being stepped on by sneakers. Venturing a little further towards the trees, Evan let out a yell of triumph. "I found it! Over here! I found it!"
"Found what?" Neji growled as the group moved in on Evan's position amidst the trees, his carefree smile conquering his face once again. Staring curiously at the ground, cleared away of snow and excess dirt, a wooden stick-like object poked out of the ground, one end painted yellow. "The spot of course!" Evan's happy tone sounded off as he started to dig, changing in form to that of a canine, hell-bent on getting to whatever was under all the dirt. Ozzy joined in, changing as well, Lilith and Akako giving the operation more speed and efficiency. Another ten minutes passed as the four came to a stop, one of them having come across what looked and felt like cloth. Flipping it out of the way, wooden boxes could be seen, speckled with loose dirt, situated amidst roots in a well dug rectangle hole. The cloth shimmered in a strange way, showing line after line of letters and symbols that flickered and changed as though alive, flowing across the fabric like a light with a slide in front of it was shining onto the dull surface. "What's that? A language of some sort?" Tenten asked as she watched with fascinated eyes as the lines flickered again. Blinking at the question, Evan looked at the cloth, his scrutiny merciless to anything that may be there. "Oh that! That's just the preservation spell to keep all this stuff from goin' bad is all. Why it flickers and moves like that I've no idea but as long as it keeps working, I'm sure we've nothing to worry about. That is unless it stops working for some reason and we dig up bad food—"
"Then we'd never hear the end of it from Auntie. She'd kill us with that frying pan of hers." Ozzy said with a shiver. "Gettin' beaned with that thing once a day is enough as it is thank you very much."
"Why do you think I duck when she swings you cheatin' moron? Even I have more sense than you two idiots." Chevy said as he started picking up boxes and handing them up. Instead of responding, the two glared at him, throwing dirt clods and makeshift snowballs at him. "Okay Ow, Ow! Okay I get it Ow!! Alright stop, I get it Ow!"
Glaring at him still the twins started to help with handing out boxes to the ninja group. Kazuo tried to help, only for what could be called his 'hands' were useless in the sense of holding things, the item falling with a thud to the ground, causing people to turn and stare. Hey it's not my fault that I'm not solid anymore. Blame the dead snake guy. He grumbled at them, turning away to sulk, moving like a ghost across the snowy ground to 'sit' on a nearby bench. After emptying the hole of half of its contents, the three warriors and their spirits climbed out of the hole, threw the cloths down to cover what was there and started putting the dirt back in. "That's it? That's all we're taking? Why not all of it?" Naruto practically yelled in his unusually loud voice only to get shushed by Iruka, who scowled at the boy for his brashness.
"Well we can't carry it all and we need to keep some of it down there for later, especially if it's a real nasty emergency. The stuff on top has to come out since it's the oldest, out of consideration for how long it's been in there, we put the newest of our stocks at the bottom so the older stuff can get eaten sooner than it does. Simple, easy to remember and not too hard to follow." Evan said in his normal almost cheerful voice as he planted the stick thing back into the ground as Ozzy made sure no extra dirt was lying anywhere, kicking the snow to cover the recently dug up earth and fiddling with bush branches to assist with the camouflage. Satisfied with the job, Ozzy meandered over to where a lot of the boxes were stacked, opened some of his pockets, and started to stuff box after box inside each one. They disappeared into his pockets, once the size crates became the size of memo pads, some very thin, others not. "The rest we can carry." He growled at them. "Come and help."
Kazuo stayed where he was as the other three and the two spirits took on their own burdens of boxes, the ninjas carrying one or two of their own just to be fair to those who were actually solid. Moving back to the pathway, the group began the walk back to the Inn. Gayle took to watching the trees and buildings, a look of concern in his eyes as the trek progressed. Chevy had taken to tensing up as well, the twins moving with ease, but also with caution in their step. "Did we come the right way?" Gayle queried. "Are you sure we're not in the right street here?"
"Must've taken the wrong path otherwise we'd be heading in the other direction. Yeah we're in trouble here, we need to go back." Evan said, sounding uneasy, his tone a bit shaky as it was. "Why what's wrong?" Kakashi asked, eyebrow raised.
"We need to go back. Now. End of story." Chevy barked, increasing his pace to a ground-eating stride. Temari and Kankuro soon stopped him in his tracks. "What's wrong with going that way? What are you afraid of?" Temari snapped at him, making him jump then sigh in defeat. "Who wouldn't be afraid of going that way? Might as well tell you, 'cause that's where she lives. This is her territory and if it's anything, she'll kill anyone or anything she sees as hostile to keep it that way."
"You mean that girl from two days ago? I'm sure she'll understand if it's us. Come one it's probably not that bad—"
"You're so not getting this. She doesn't like visitors and she so doesn't like crowds. The only reason you saw her when you did is because she needed to gather her own supplies for the next couple of months and that's all I want to see of her."
"But she told me that she found 'Leaf'. Orochimaru said so himself. To me that means she found Sasuke and if we find Sasuke, we might be able to get ourselves out of your hair, maybe even figure out what that thing wanted with him in the first place." Kakashi said from where he stood, his eye narrowing angrily. His concern for his student was really kicking in today, especially if he was the last of his lineage. "And if I remember correctly, that was our mission to start with. Right Sakura?"
"Agreed Kakashi-sensei. We came here to find Naruto and Sasuke, and we've only completed half the mission! Why turn back when we can get him back for sure?"
Staring at them the warriors just seemed to look at them with disbelief. Turning to Chevy, they seemed expectant of what to do about the situation at hand. Silence overtook the group, before finally Kazuo spoke up for the first time. I've been down here dozens of times and I pretty much know the layout as well as she does—
"And you lived? Dude that's pretty bold!" Gayle said with astonishment.
Of that I'm sure but that's because she only allows one or two people into her area at a time. Especially if they don't plan on making any wrong moves against her. Now I know where myself and someone else can meet her so she can take that person to this Sasuke guy. But only one and that's it. She's real strict on these things—
"And you know this how?" Ozzy queried, raising an eyebrow, his voice faintly suspicious.
If you're on the field and you get beat up pretty bad, wouldn't you find somebody who's a whole lot better than you for help? Kazuo said, sounding aggravated with the constant interruptions. Holding up his hands, Ozzy fell silent again, clearly content with listening to what remained of the horse masked man to continue. Knowing no one else would intervene with his explanation, he continued. Like I said she isn't all that big on crowds. Thinks they're too noisy and always wanting something to do with ya, definitely something worth hating. Especially when you have a headache. Now she'll probably let me and someone else in, other than that, no such luck. Might as well draw straws now before you get really competitive.
The group of ninjas stood thinking this over. Who would go and who would stay and help these guys get the food back to the Inn? Only one person could go and other than Kazuo, that was the only option anyone had. A sacrifice had to be made somewhere along the line right? Sakura was really thinking this over. She really wanted to see Sasuke, but did she really want to see that emotionless face glare at her and say 'get the fuck away from me I want nothing to do with you'? No! He loves me! I know he does! Doesn't he? What if he doesn't? What will I do then? These thoughts floated through her mind, ringing in her ears and all the moments she was shot down by his remarks flashed before her eyes. There'd been no love at all in what she'd said. All she'd wanted was to be was the one chosen by some boy from a strong family to show some care for her. And it hadn't been Sasuke, it'd been Lee or Naruto to actually show some sign of thinking she was worth having around. And there was absolutely nothing special about them except their spirit to win and be the best they could be, even if one was an outcast for the wrong reasons and the other with the wrong kind of fashion sense. Maybe she could fix that. Just maybe.
Ino's mind seemed to be computing the same thing. Why try and get someone you loved when you hadn't really loved them in the first place? Even if they tried to get all those blows to the heart to kick in saying 'I don't love you and I know you don't love me so stop trying!' It was more than any girl's heart could take. If Sasuke didn't want to see someone who'd just treat him like the most wonderful thing on the planet and nothing more, then she wouldn't go. Besides, there was a different ninja who acted like she actually existed like no one else did.
From the corner of his eye, Kakashi thought he saw Evan and Ozzy smile at the two girls. But Ozzy's face was devoid of any such smile, though he was smirking while Evan seemed to be grinning. Seeing Kakashi looking at him in question he just smiled and said, "It looks like this decision is on its way after all."
Asuma and Kakashi looked at him in confusion before turning to their female students. What they saw was very clear. The two had come to the conclusion that going after a boy that didn't love them back was pointless, it was his decision to choose who he wanted, not them. Kakashi was about to say something when a very well known voice sounded off. "I'll go. It was my job in the first place and I'm gonna finish it!" Naruto nearly yelled, his hand raised, oblivious to the knowing smirks on the faces of the twins and Kakashi's eye going into its half moon shape in pride over his student's confidence. "It's gonna take more than this weird girl to scare me away from my mission!" he roared close to the top of his lungs, making those around him flinch from the volume, even the shadow hiding some distance away on a roof.
Any objections to this decision? Kazuo asked, looking around for any other takers. All in favor? he asked, raising his 'hand'. All jabbed at the sky, opinions being heard on a fairly physical level. I see. All right then Naruto was it? Can't wait all day. He said, turning to get a bit of a head start up the street, his 'feet' never making a sound on the snow covered concrete. Looking at his friends and teammates, he gave them his fox grin to act as reassurance. "Are you sure you want to go Naruto? I'm sure someone else can—"
"It's his decision Iruka, if he wants to bring his teammate back then let him. I was the one who told him to go after the thing that took Sasuke, so why not go see how he is now that we all know he's with someone trust worthy? He'll be fine! Who or whatever that girl is, I'm sure he can actually behave long enough to get Sasuke and come back before he gets her too pissed off."
"Okay your little reassurance speech isn't helping right now Kakashi. I mean, how do you know for sure? Knowing Naruto—"
"Hey I'm standing right here ya know!" Naruto said with indignation, giving the father he never had a look of mock anger. This silenced Iruka, only to have the chunin laughing, saying to his would-be son. "Sorry Naruto. I'm just worried that's all. You know how I feel when you go places where you could get hurt. Or worse. Well knowing you I know you'll survive this."
"Thanks Iruka-sensei. Bye guys!" he said with a confident wave as he jogged over to where Kazuo stood waiting patiently for the blonde boy to catch up. The two disappeared over the hill, the wind howling once again as it made its daily rounds of the city. Ozzy went to where Naruto had left his box, picking it up out of the snow, wiping off excess dirt and snow from the box's surface. His expression seemed grim. "Well that's the last we'll see of him for a while."
"WHAT? What do you mean by that?" Iruka nearly screamed, staring at him in horror at the man's words. Everyone else seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Ozzy scoffed as he turned to leave, his brother practically on his heels. Running to block his path, Iruka's voice came clear and dead serious, his hand moving to his kunai pouch on his leg. "Yes I would."
An eyebrow rose at the man's words and their tone. Seeing no escape he just said, "What I speak of is not of death or anything pertaining to your student, it's indeed true we won't be seeing either of them for a while. I was, however, pertaining to Kazuo…" breaking off, he started to walk off once again, keeping his mouth shut as he headed back the way they came. Chevy and Gayle looking between the two, wondering if they should wait or just keep going. Evan was about to follow when the others stopped him. "What did he mean by that Evan? What's wrong with Kazuo?" Hinata whimpered hesitantly, fiddling with her forefingers like she usually did. A sad expression formed on the man's face, an appearance one as happy and carefree as him should never have to own. The look in his eye said should've enough about it, but they were too confused on what his brother meant. Seeing no way out of it, he sighed and said, "Living without a true form is hard, takes a lot of energy to actually have a form when there really isn't. He meant Kazuo doesn't have long before he passes on to the Other Side. To Grey Land."
"Grey land? Where's that?"
The look was almost heartbreaking, but the smile he tried to put on only made the feeling worse. Just before he walked away he said, "It's where the dead go."
The rest of the walk back was silent, as though they were in shock. They experienced the two handicap warriors and the old woman on the way back, oblivious to Kazuo and Naruto's absence. Almost like it was a natural thing. A normal thing. Something that occurred everyday without so much as bothering what difference there was in it. They arrived at the Inn without anymore incident, any enemy that could be encountered having retreated to whatever hellhole they lived in. The boxes were put into storage, dinner was made and served with their assistance (the children didn't come today), everyone washed and got to their respective rooms. Though Evan once again caught Kakashi sneaking into Iruka's, he simply chuckled and said, "Just keep it down. Other people need to sleep too ya know?"
The one eyed man had to fight back the blush that came to his masked face but was saved when Iruka opened his door wide enough to pull the pervert of a Jounin into the room with him. "Took you long enough. What kept you?" the chunin practically purred into his ear, sending an aroused shiver down the older man's spine, gnawing at the earlobe hungrily. Wrapping strong arms around his koi and removing his mask with a free hand, he answered in his own seductive purr. "Just thinking of how sweet you are." Not giving the man a chance to reply, he captured those delicious lips into a mind-melting kiss. Heat erupted as chaste turned to passionate, his tongue swiping lips, begging for entrance. Gasping Iruka gave, opening his mouth slightly, allowing the invader passage to taste every corner it could reach. Iruka couldn't help but close his eyes as the kiss descended from his mouth to his cheek, neck, and soon after, his collarbone. One of Kakashi's hands had somehow weaved its way under the Chunin's shirt, taking hold of a very pert nipple. Gasping from the touch Iruka groaned as he thought he might collapse from those naught but soothing hands massaging his chest and back, gently clawing their way over their territory. Somehow finding the will to go backwards and dragging the Jounin with him Iruka felt his knees give upon hitting the bedside, bringing the one-eyed man to fall on top of him, much to his delight and discomfort.
But Kakashi wasn't ready to stop just yet. Removing the Chunin's vest and shirt was easy enough, getting him to remove the rest was going to be a challenge. And oh how he loved a challenge. Only problem was that was when Iruka decided to take control of his silver haired wonder. Putting a hand on the man's chest he flipped them both over so that he was on top and Kakashi wasn't. "Getting a little hasty aren't we?" Kakashi laughed before a pair of lips covered his mouth, sending his mind blowing to bits as cool hands wiggled their way up Kakashi's shirt, making it his turn to gasp then groan. Good thing he'd remembered to put a sound note on the door, things were about to get loud. Iruka slipped his cold and talented hands to wrap around Kakashi's back, making him arch, gasp, then moan as the hands got a good grip, the mouth tasting almost too good to be true. Much to his disappointment Iruka pulled back and gave him a mischievous smile as one of those cool hands moved dangerously close Kakashi's pant line. "Hey no fair." He whined but gasped again when the hand went further and grabbed something very sensitive. "You cheated last time, so you can think of this as payback." Iruka chuckled as he leaned back in to kiss his koi's sweet mouth, all the while massaging and playing with the appendage with one hand and keeping the man pinned with the other. Too bad Kakashi had other things in mind. Using his hands to bring the man closer he made the kiss more passionate and hungry, wanting more by the second. The only thing in their way now were their pants, along with their boxers. Deciding to get a little creative Kakashi reached to see if he couldn't get rid of the obstruction that lead to Iruka. Unzipping it was one thing, getting it to come off was another story. Iruka was dealing with a problem of his own: get rid of Kakashi's. Seeing that the other was getting the same dilemma, compromise had to be made. Suddenly flipping them both over Kakashi's only eye smiled as he grinned, swiftly whipping the articles away, Iruka blushing to find himself completely naked. "Who's cheating now hmm?" Kakashi said grinning.
Smirking Iruka just chuckled, trying not to blush too hard. "Guess you want to make us even then?"
"You bet I do. Now let's get the score settled." The man's hungry voice made the chunin shiver as Kakashi began to possessively grind against his one and only. The pacifist teacher's breathing hitched as the grinding increased, making them both harder than rocks. Another fanatical kiss practically seared his lips as the other man's mouth met his, sending shocks down both their spines, blowing their brains beyond comparison. Iruka pulled the man closer as the grinding continued, responding with smooth hands and grinding of his own, creating a new heat, a new sensation and a new passion. Not able to take anymore waiting Kakashi rid himself of the last of his own clothes with a final swoop, quickly searching his abandoned vest for the one thing they needed now. Without stopping his obsessive pumping and grinding, he popped the lid open and spread the contents of the lube over himself and gently on Iruka. Bringing up one of Iruka's legs he continued to spread the lotion wherever he could get it to go. Satisfied with his work he prepared for the grand finale.
He situated himself so that Iruka was lying on his stomach since he was too busy protesting weakly to notice what was really going on. His eye widened when he realized just what Kakashi was doing, waiting as Kakashi lined himself up to enter his koi. "Ready?" he purred, awaiting the answer he knew would come. Iruka nodded, preparing for the familiar sensation that came with their lovemaking. Using a soul searing kiss as a distraction, Kakashi moved in. Iruka adjusted to him immediately as he groaned, begging for more. Wasting no time, Kakashi retreated and thrust again, repeating as he increased his speed. It was almost too much for either of them: Iruka was arching his back, trying to keep himself from screaming from the pleasure; Kakashi's mind beyond reason as he thrust and thrust, his pace speeding up as his insides threatened to burst. The climax finally hit as Kakashi spilled himself between them, Iruka not helping to not to do the same as he let out one last scream of Kakashi's name in pleasure. Breathless the two men collapsed onto the bed, fatigue causing them to pant, sleep dragging their eyes closed as they lay down next to each other despite how sweaty they'd become. Iruka snuggled up next to his koi as Kakashi managed to get the blankets over them against the wintry night air. "Love you." Iruka managed to whisper before sleep took over, giving into the black oblivion that would give way to the colorful world of dreams. Chuckling at his koi's cute but light snoring, Kakashi just kissed his forehead before responding. "Yeah, me too." Hugging the man close to him, he too gave in to reliving his own world of colorful dreams.
--A Few Hours Earlier—
Kazuo walked across the streets like the ghost he was, something of the past. Naruto walking not too far behind him couldn't stop thinking of what to do once he finally got to see Sasuke. What would he say? What would he do? Would he be able to tell his friend and teammate 'I'm sorry I couldn't help you in time'? Did he even have the right to say anything at all when it came to facing the one person who acknowledged him but at the same time, treated him like dirt? What right did he have? They'd been walking for nearly thirty minutes and they still had yet to meet 'her'. "Hey Kazuo!"
Yes Naruto? Was the oddly weak reply.
"How much longer until we meet this girl?"
Depending on whether or not she's sensed us by now. Mainly you since you're more solid and stronger than me.
"Stronger? What-? Hey, are you okay?"
I'll be fine. He seemed to gasp, coming to a halt and sitting on a bus bench, his breath coming in slight pants. My time here is wearing thin. Hopefully we'll meet her soon before I go.
"Go? Go where? Kazuo what's wrong?" Naruto was trying not to panic. Losing a friend was one thing, but losing the guide to the friend before getting there was a whole different ballpark. Kazuo looked up, gazing into a pair of concerned orbs of sky blue. I won't be here for long kid. My time here in the world of the living is done and over with, I have to go before I fade to nothing. But I can probably lead you a little further before I'm too far gone to be of any help to anybody. He gasped for more air before he continued. Take the street up another block before taking a right on Maple Avenue. Go up that street two blocks and wait at the 'light post that's on during the day'. You can wait for her there.
"Okay. One more block, right turn, two more blocks and light post. Gotcha. Will you be okay where you are? I could wait until you're better you know." Naruto gazed at the ghostly form on the bench as it began to fade. Kazuo wasn't going to get better. No. You keep going… I'll just sit here. And wait… see you later… Naruto… his voice became nothing but a whisper in the wind as the misty pillar of color that was Kazuo disappeared into the air. Naruto was about to leave when he heard a thunk on the bench behind him. Turning he stared astonished to see a potted ash sapling sat on the plastic surface, its leaves shaking in the wind as though trying to dance to an unheard rhythm. A horse mask with blackish brown markings on it hung by its straps from one of the main branches, making a small clunking noise upon gently hitting the wooden surface it depended on for support. "Kazuo?" Nothing. No response came to comfort Naruto as he stood in the icy street all by himself. A 17 year old teenager shouldn't feel afraid for no apparent reason, unless there were nasty people snatching corpse things roaming around waiting in the shadows with greedy hands. Not a good feeling. Shaking his head, Naruto tried to get his brain into gear and focus on his mission.
Okay, let's see here, one more block in this direction. Yeah that sounds easy enough. He thought as he turned back in the direction they'd been walking in the first place. Gulping, he walked on, careful that he didn't slip and fall, let alone break something vital. Kyuubi had been trying his best to rid them both of the cut across the chest the thing had given them three days before. Ms. Loni had been nice enough to sew up his jacket and undershirt. But Kyuubi's healing power wasn't enough to get rid of the stinging pain that hit whenever he tried to breath too much or too hard. Whatever that thing had done, he had good reason to hope it would leave soon because things were about to from bad to worse. Multiple shadows were moving like spiders across the ground and the building walls, following the blonde as he walked through the snow, oblivious to the oncoming danger behind him. Just as he got half a block away from where Kazuo had 'died', a familiar stench filled the air and Kyuubi started to stir, sending hot shooting pains through Naruto's stomach. Close to kneeling in the middle of the snow filled street, Naruto literally screamed in his head. What in the hell are you doing fox? Are you tryin' to kill us?
No, I'm trying to save us! Let me out! We're in trouble so let me out brat.
And how the hell am I supposed to do that with you tearing at my stomach. Itai! Knock it off! You're hurting me!
Sorry but I must do something before they reach us.
Then stop that and let me handle it!
NO!! We almost died twice in this lifetime, and we aren't making a third attempt! Let me out and we will deal with them together!
Naruto didn't know what to think. Could he trust Kyuubi upon his release? Would he die as soon as the cage broke? Just what would happen anyway? Only one way to find out and that was to give it a shot. What had Disa said? 'Listen to your spirit'? Well listening now seemed like the only option. Ignoring the oncoming cloaked, stinking creatures that had clawed hands ready to strike, eyes wide with anticipation, mouths drooling like rabid dogs, Naruto managed to close his eyes and seek out the Fourth's Seal that held the mighty fire guardian at bay. It was ominously suspended on nothing, floating in the air before his mind. Memorizing its design, form and color should Kyuubi ever get out of hand in the future, he reached forward and waited for the worst. A loud crash could be heard as the seal itself cracked and finally broke. Red chakra came flying forward, engulfing the boy in its flame like essence.
Opening his eyes Naruto noticed the things trying to stop and turn back, their screams never truly reaching his ears. As though all the sound had been shut off. Ignoring this fact he ran forward, kunai in hand as he let the Kyuubi's power flow like water through his limbs. Kyuubi was obviously withholding a large percentage but giving enough that the teenager could handle. The things were torn to shreds in his wake, becoming bloody smears in the snow and on the walls, vanishing from existence as the spirits that possessed them disappeared screaming in their own pain in clouds of misty smoke into nothing. Having gotten the ones that were still in range, Naruto chose then to power down, letting the energy settle and disappear. He didn't even feel tired! Turning he found a window that was intact despite it being broken at one end. What he saw made him gasp and fall on his ass. His whisker scars were darker and took up more of his cheeks, his teeth were visibly sharper, his hands still somewhat clawed, eyes blood red. Hey Kyuubi how do I change back? He asked in an almost panicked tone. At first the fox said nothing but then said. Relax and let the power flow back to whence it came brat. You'll be fine after that.
Can I trust you on that?
I'm still here aren't I? If I wasn't, that'd give you good reason to mistrust me but I haven't so just do as I say. Now relax.
Not knowing what else to do, he took several deep breaths, closing his eyes for emphasis. One thing he noticed was he could breath easier. Astonished he lifted his jacket to take a look to find that there was no scar or cut of any kind had ever been there in the first place. Another thing he found was he was changing back to normal. Normal hands, normal face and almost normal teeth. Even his eyes were back to their natural cerulean blue. Putting the kunai back in his pouch on his leg, he walked on down the street.
After another half hour of walking brought him to the end of the block where a street sign stood out of the sidewalk almost like a beacon of some kind. Things were getting colder; the snow was falling a little thicker than it had earlier that day. Looking up at the green signs with their white lettering, Naruto was having trouble reading what it said. A right at Maple Avenue he said, this has to be it. Otherwise I came the wrong way and I'm fucking lost out in the fucking snow trying to find some fucking killing-spree loving girl that has my fucking rival! Hey Kyuubi can you make things a little warmer?
Sorry brat, doing that would attract more opponents. Probably a lot stronger than the ones we faced earlier. We're just going to have to deal with it for now until we finally get indoors, anything worth reading on the stupid sign?
Not that I can see though I think is the turn. If not, we're screwed.
Great. That really takes a load off my mind. All right I'll see what I can do about the temp, you just keep walkin'. We'll find this damn 'light post that's on during the day' eventually.
Thanks. Saying no more, the boy kept going, taking the right turn down the nameless street in the hopes of finding the light post. He couldn't help but smile as he began to feel a little warmer, less worn out by the cold as the familiar feel of Kyuubi's power gently made its way through his limbs, coming and going in small almost undetectable amounts. Naruto walked on for what seemed like hours, knowing that it'd only been nearly half. The snow was getting thicker, the buildings, abandoned cars; trash barrels; mailboxes and street signs were harder to see. He nearly walked straight into a streetlight and several different objects amidst the white haze that filled the air and covered the streets with no signs of mercy anywhere. After what seemed like miles and hours of walking, he thought he saw some sort of light up ahead of him. Strange thing was that it kept on changing color, almost as though the light was incapable of choosing one of its own accord.
Pushing past snow, frost and heavy chunks of ice, Naruto headed straight for the light, the Kyuubi's powerful fire like chakra turning the snow and ice to slush in his wake. Upon reaching the light, the snow was falling peacefully to the ground almost as though in a drunken haze. A watery trail of where he'd come and the snow falling lighter and less harshly than before was the only difference if the color changing light post counted as strange. Looking up he noticed the sky was still a slightly light shade of gray, which meant that the sun still had yet to go down. The light post itself looked normal enough, tall black steel pole ending in a semi-fancy design and light box with a busted door that allowed it to be opened and closed. A bench, faintly illuminated by the lamplight and covered with a perfect layer of snow and frost, was the only thing other than Naruto and the post that was visibly standing amidst the frozen city streets. (Narnia anyone? I'm almost expecting Mr. Tumnus to come walking up any minute now) silence conquered the street corner except for the occasional wind that went howling past to send snow swirling through the air in an exotic dance to silent music that only nature itself could provide. Seeing no other option he stumbled over to the bench, dusted some of the snow off before taking a seat. He waited, staring at the colorless shy and the flecks of white that fell like confetti to the ground, a piece or two occasionally landing on his face or in his eye. He growled in frustration, rubbing his eye to rid it of the excess water that flooded it. How can Shikamaru watch the sky like he can? It's so dull it's past boring!
I don't know… who's Shikamaru? I've never met him. A familiar whispery voice said, practically booming inside his head. Standing up with a jerk, turning this way and that searching for the source, he finally found it. Standing there, plain as day and without a care in the world was the masked girl. The bear mask, flawlessly white and smooth, gave her presence a feel of caution, of danger, and of possible death if push comes to shove. Wearing the same clothes as before, her hair moving with the wind, she stared at him with her icy blue eyes that almost matched his in color but not in emotion. Hello again, Naruto was it? Why are you here? The voice called, echoing in his brain, toneless but all the same curious in as to why he was there. "Um I came to see if you had Sasuke."
She stared at him, tilting her head as though trying to comprehend what he'd said. He grew impatient and asked again. "Well do you? You told my sensei that you had him so I came to see him too. Do you or don't you?"
One eyed man? He's your teacher? Odd man isn't he? I do have the one you ask for, but I don't think he's well enough to see anyone at this point.
"Then let me come with you. There has to be something I can do to help! Isn't there?"
I don't know… you might cause more pain than comfort… considering your personality…
There's nothing wrong with his personality and you know it White One! Now take him to whom he seeks or I'll give you good reason to! Kyuubi roared, his voice booming in Naruto's head. The girl didn't seem at all effected by this. Feisty aren't you? Attacking me would give me good reason to destroy you both; no matter how strong you claim to be… Kyuubi.
You know me? How--?
I simply do. That and you and your 'brat' think too loud.
"So you can take me to him?"
I can.
"So let's go already."
Nuh uh. You say 'can I'. I said yes, But not if I would.
"Meaning what?" he asked, brow furrowed in confusion.
You didn't ask.
"Oh. Well, would you?"
She stared for a minute, obviously thinking this option over. Some time passed before she finally said. Yes. Follow please.
Without another word she turned to leave, her shoes hardly even crunching in the snow as she went, Naruto not far behind.
--Different POV—
It'd been a long and boring day for Sasuke. Staying in bed, eating soup, drinking tea, bandages changed when they were too filthy along with occasional bathroom break and frequent naps that came with all the 'activity' of the day. The girl calling herself 'I' had gone out saying 'someone will be visiting soon. I must find them.' And closed and locked the door on him. Leaving him with the cat that so graciously fell asleep in his lap while he sat on the couch trying to read the book he'd been given to occupy his time with. Deciphering what the hell it said and what it was about was confusing enough, but actually reading the damn thing was the main problem. The language and grammar, even the punctuation was almost the same to that of his world, only problem was that he couldn't actually read what it said. That and the cat was shedding as it purred and stretched in his lap. He didn't hate the cat. It's just that he'd awoken to cat belly that morning, completely rendering him blind before he freaked and sent the animal flying across the room. Better in the lap then on the face. He remembered asking about the cat once the day before, but all he out of her was a strange and indirect answer. Once the fish reached the lake, it didn't want to leave, even if all the fishers in the world came to catch him.
Whatever the hell that means. Does that damn thing even have a name? He'd asked that question once. The answer was just as strange as the first.
--Flashback—
"So does it have a name?"
Yes. Cream.
"Cream? Why cream?"
That's all he says.
--End Flashback--
What she meant by that I've no fucking idea. He thought as he continued to struggle with the book's contents and the dream driven cat in his lap, aggravating him to no end. Feeling a little tired he put the book down and managed to scoop the cat out of his lap and set the sleep thing to where he'd been sitting. It settled again, trying to make do with the fading warmth still on the cushion. Wiping away as much fur as possible, Sasuke ambled down the hall toward the bathroom to shower. He'd already eaten, since she would give him anything but soup saying he wasn't ready for solids just yet. As if. She has to give me solids eventually, but why does she even care? Or is she doing it because she feels she has too? Whatever I'll save it for later. Now where's my soap? The thoughts passed from his mind as he got undressed and headed for the shower stall. He'd also been given his own towel, which made him wonder. When did she shower or brush? When does she eat? She does eat doesn't she? I never see her do anything except cook, clean and do laundry. Even feeding the cat was something she did regardless of if he was present or not. What she did the rest of the time was completely beyond him, almost as though she didn't want him to become too involved in staying there to care. Hot water shot out of the metal showerhead above him, sending the curious thoughts flying out the window. Giving himself a much needed but painful scrub down, he turned the water off and reached for his towel. Sure that no one had come down the hall he crossed over to the guest room and got into some pajamas the girl had said she'd found in storage somewhere.
Throwing the used towel into a laundry hamper that sat against the wall in the hall, he shut his door all the way and headed toward the bed, already feeling sleep kicking in, his eyelids drooping. Once under the covers his fatigue hit him full blast, knocking him out in seconds, completely unaware that the door on the bottom floor was about to let in two very familiar people.
--Normal POV—
The walk there had been long, cold and almost never-ending. Naruto thought for sure he'd lost some of his toes but didn't know it, maybe a finger or two. They just had yet to fall off his hands. The girl had lead him past numberless buildings, countless streets and incalculable abandoned or resolute objects left behind by past neighbors and regular people who'd gone to what they thought would be a better place than where'd they'd been. The snow's thicker here than it was five streets back. Why is that? He thought, as he looked at all the tall buildings of stone and glass in awe to their size and their integrity. Cars were nothing but white mounds acting as makeshift hills on the side of the streets, making it difficult to say where one was as mound after mound could be seen left and right. The snow fell softly, almost like a snow globe that's been shaken and left to let the white pieces fall to the plastic bottom. As they walked Naruto noticed that practically all the buildings' steps and doorways were snowed in, almost as though they hadn't been used in years, the store windows frosty and cracked but not broken. It was an utter and complete dead zone. Wanting some answers, Naruto decided to set some of the burning ones aside. "So uh, do you have a name?"
Yes. He actually expected a longer answer than that.
"Would you mind telling me? I can't exactly call you 'girl' now can I?"
I.
"I? That's a word, not a name." He scoffed, giving a skeptical look. "I mean a name, a real name; something to call you by, which would be a name. And I'm asking you, do you have a name?"
She looked back at him as they walked, thinking on what to say in response. A minute or two passed before she finally turned away saying. I is I's name. My name is my name and I will share it when I will it to be shared.
"What you don't have one?"
I do, I just don't want to share it yet.
"Okay. Have it your way. So how much longer until we get there?"
Even the sun and moon must take time to rise and the rain to fall. Either way much time must pass.
"You mean soon right?"
Maybe I do, maybe I do not.
"Oy vay."
Silence conquered once again, snow falling lightly to the ground as his sandals and her sneakers crunched the tiny pieces of ice into each other as they walked through the empty streets. After just about another half hour or so, he finally spotted her veering off the right side of the street. Up ahead, he only saw one doorstep that actually had snow, frost and ice wiped away to allow a person or two pass through the door. They'd finally arrived. He would finally see Sasuke. They approached the door but instead of using the knob like he thought she would, she simply walked through the door itself, leaving him out in the cold. "Whoa hey now! Let me in will ya?" he practically roared with indignation. Her voice echoed in his head, sounding a bit sheepish. Sorry. Habit. Dies very hard. It's not locked.
"Now she tells me." He grumbled as he opened the door, looking around the place. A staircase ascended to higher stories, the dark wood glistening with old wax from the dark. There weren't any pictures of any kind on the walls and a thin layer of dust sat on the floor, the furniture in the two rooms left and right covered in white blankets, showing lack of use. The girl had already gone up some of the steps waiting for him to follow her upstairs. "So what now?"
We go up. Was the simple answer as she started up the stairs again, the steps barely so much as creaking when she passed yet they groaned in protest when Naruto put his weight on them. After going up maybe seven stories, the girl stepped off the winding staircase to head for a door at the end of the hall. Once again she walked through the door and when he was about to protest, he heard the well-known clicks and dull slides of locks being undone. He waited another few seconds until the door finally opened, revealing the semi-golden light of a hall light. At least it's warmer here than out there. He thought as he stepped in, inspecting what was already visible. The kitchen, the living room, the hall leading to the rooms and a calico cat fast asleep on the couch next to a lamp and a book. "Where is he? Did you--?"
No. He probably went to bed. Doesn't feel well. I wouldn't after being in the bag for so long. He'll be like that for a while. No worries. It fades. Hunger? Thirst?
"Uh a little."
I see. Sit. I will cook. Moving into the kitchen she started going through cupboards in search of utensils and ingredients. He only had to wait a few minutes as he sat nervously at the table, having suddenly been confronted by a still sleepy but very hungry cat that'd used the other chair to get onto the tabletop. Much to his astonishment, the cat made a daredevil leap from the table to the back of the girl's jacket to travel via claw to her shoulder. Not even perturbed by this, she continued her work. Another minute or two passed before she gave Naruto a bowl of ravioli and set a bowl on the table in front of herself and poured some cream into it, the cat jumping down from her shoulder onto the table to lap up the cream. "Aren't you gonna have somethin'?" Naruto queried, wondering why she wasn't bothering to feed herself. She stared at him from across the table, absentmindedly petting the cat as it drank the cream. Not hungry. Eat later.
"Is it because of the mask? Or are you just honestly not hungry?"
The latter.
"Okay. Good enough for me." He finished his noodles and ended up having thirds despite his yearning to see Sasuke, but he resisted. "Um where's the bathroom?"
Down the hall, second on the right; Across from it is Sasuke's room, who I'm fairly sure, is probably sleeping. You can have the room next to his which is the third door on the left.
"Where's your room? I mean where do you sleep?"
Thinking this over, her answer was fairly honest. End of the hall on the right but I usually take the couch. Either one usually works for me. If you want to shower I'll get you a towel so there aren't any mix-ups on whose is whose. I hate such arguments. Makes my head hurt. Follow.
Getting up without disturbing the cat, she walked through the living room and into the hall, leading the way to the third door, passing the one she'd said was Sasuke's. He stared at the wooden thing longingly, but knew better than to get fussy about it now. They both needed to rest and he needed to get some feeling back into his limbs. Nothing a nice hot shower couldn't fix. She'd bypassed both doors and went straight to a smaller one, opening it with a small click and reached inside and pulled out a light blue towel and threw it at Naruto who caught it before it hit. Heading for her bedroom door, she turned and said one last thing. Knock if you need something. Good night.
"'Night." Was all he could say before the door shut with a final click. Seeing no other choice, Naruto turned on the bathroom light and shut the door.
After a peaceful hour of hot steam ridding his body of the cold, Naruto emerged from the bathroom to cross to what the girl had said was his room. Just when he thought he forgot to ask for pajamas, as soon as he turned on the light, a folded set sat on the bed waiting to be put on. Thankfully they were the right size. Getting into bed, and joined shortly by the multi-colored cat, the teenage ninja let sleep take the wheel as he wondered what his friend and rival would think once he knew he was there to complete what he never finished.
Man I'm good!! This chapter was a whole lot longer than anticipated. Awesomeness!! And thankfully no notes to speak of! Mercy on my fingers at last! Mercy at last! But if you guys have any questions go ahead and mail me. Thanks!
Next time!:
Chapter 11: The Morning After
Looks like some things are gonna get awkward! Then again maybe not but I guess that all depends on who I'm talking about. Am I gonna say who? HELL NO!! You're just going to have to wait until:
Chapter 11: The Morning After